Lie To Me
by Shinsun
Summary: Goku knows that he loves Vegeta, and suspects that the prince feels the same, but when he attempts to make his feelings known, Vegeta retaliates with violence and denial; hiding behind anger's mask and running from his feelings. Goku has heard enough lies, however, and struggles to help the prince accepts what they both know is true deep down. A songfic for Lie To Me by Red.


**Lie To Me**

_DBZ yaoi fanfic by Shinsun (songfic one-shot)_

Vegeta roared and slammed his fist into Goku's jaw; Goku could feel the bone splinter and blood sprayed across his cheek, his shattering teeth cutting the inside of his mouth to shreds.

He hit the floor backward with a thud, his blood staining the carpet red.

_**Tell yourself it's over now...  
Try to kill a broken vow**_**.~**

He didn't attempt to sit up, didn't defend himself or even move at all as Vegeta's fists pounded him to pulp. Regret stabbed Goku's heart and he tried to meet the prince's smoldering jet eyes one more time. He'd been wrong; so, horribly, painfully wrong.

_**~If only you could find the strength...  
To kill the memories.~**_

Ribs cracked, bones shuddered and split, skin broke and tore as the prince took out his fury on his last third-class subject; cursing and swearing, shouting his fury and humiliation into deaf ears, ears blinded by shame and remorse.

_**~These empty pages never turn...  
I lit the flame and let them burn.  
Tried to bury me so deep...  
What will lie beneath?~**_

At long last, Vegeta drew back and stood away, still shaking with rage and adrenaline and looked down at Goku with what looked like revulsion. Then the prince spat on the floor at Goku's feet and snarled,

"Remember the pain you feel now next time you want to make a fool of the Prince of All Saiyans,"

Goku tried to say something in return, anything, but his mouth was completely destroyed and he could only manage a pleading moan.

Vegeta sneered, chuckling without humor, "Can't say you _love_ me with _that _mouth, can you?"

He leaned in close on more time.

"It's just as well," he whispered venomously, "I'll kill you before you say those disgusting words again,"

He turned to leave with his usual princely poise.

_**~Will your hope die alone?  
Will you feed on your own?  
Can you just turn away and let me go?~**_

"You didn't honestly think I'd love you back, did you?" he laughed savagely, "What fantasy world were you living in, Kakarot, that you thought I'd fucking stoop that low?"

_**~Lie to me!  
You can feel that this love was never real!~**_

Then he walked away, still laughing mirthlessly, without another word, leaving Goku to bleed.

_**~Walk away!  
You can learn to love again!**_

_**Lie to me!  
You can leave, I'll still be here when you see...  
You're not alone!~**_

The room seemed to close around him and he shivered, every muscle, every inch of skin, screaming in agony. But none of his physical wounds hurt half as bad as the empty void where the prince's rejection had torn out his heart. Darkness slammed down on his vision and he passed out at last, his last thought was of how elegantly Vegeta had walked as he left the room.

_**~You don't have to run again!  
Leave me in denial!~**_

He came to, drawing a shuddering breath as if it were his first or last, eyes snapping open. Gohan looked down at him with a worried expression, supporting his father with one arm hooked around his back, holding him in a sitting position.

"You alright, Dad? What happened?"

Goku sighed, he couldn't tell him.

_**~All your secrets crawl inside...  
You keep them safe, you let them hide.~**_

"Nothing." He muttered, standing up shakily.

"Looks like the senzu did the trick; good thing too, you were almost gone," Gohan babbled, ignoring the evasion in his father's voice.

Goku looked around; he was at the Lookout; which must've been where Gohan had gotten the senzu. He couldn't help but wonder why Dende and Piccolo weren't there.

Gohan must have read the look in his eye because he explained hurriedly.

"Piccolo and Dende are visiting New Namek right now; they've been away for a while. That's why I had to get a senzu from Korin before you could be healed. You took quite the beating, Dad." He looked at Goku sideways, asking for an explanation again; silently this time.

_**~You feel them drinking in your pain...to kill the memories.**_

_Vegeta must've known they were gone, _Goku realized,_ He must have thought no one would find me and left me to die so he didn't have to dirty his royal hands._

The realization brought back the ache in Goku's chest - where his heart should be, but he doubted it was actually there – and he sat down, slumping his shoulders, defeated.

~_** So close your eyes and let it hurt...  
Voice inside begins to stir.~**_

He sensed energy; Vegeta's energy. Brushing off his son and his niggling doubts, he put two fingers to his forehead and vanished.

He reappeared inside the Gravity Chamber; barely noticing the increased pressure and weight on all sides. Vegeta was training with single-minded focus, his bare chest rippling with the effort of his brutal workout. Goku leaned against the wall, unnoticed, and watched the prince train; his heart still aching, this time with longing.

_**~Are you reminded of all you used to be?  
Can you just turn away and let me go?~**_

Only after about five minutes did Vegeta finally turn and notice his company. Immediately a look of fury and disgust crawled across his face.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Kakarot?" he demanded. Goku caught the implication behind his words _What the fuck are you doing here alive?_

Goku hung his head, unable to lie to him though he so effortlessly and shamelessly lied to himself.

_**~Lie to me!  
You can feel that this love was never real!~**_

"I wanted to see you again," Goku whispered.

"Why?" he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest impatiently.

"Because I love you," rage and denial sparked in the prince's eyes but Goku pressed on, "And I couldn't stay away from you."

"This time I _will_ kill you, and I'll make sure you actually die." He snarled wretchedly.

"No you won't," Goku said with conviction, meeting his gaze steadily.

"And why is that? What's stopping me, pray tell?" he spat, advancing two or three steps so they were almost nose to nose, his enraged eyes inches from Goku's face.

Goku half-expected Vegeta to turn and run away without looking back – the prince's tensed muscles simply screamed that he was desperate to escape – the other half of him expected him to attack him again. But the prince did neither, simply stared at him with coal-black pools of indecision.

_**~Walk away!  
You can learn to love again!  
Lie to me!~**_

"Because you feel the same," Goku said eventually, letting each word fall like a hammer blow.

Vegeta's breath exploded from him and his eyes darted around like a caged animal's; there was something very like terror there.

The prince lunged forward suddenly and captured Goku's lips in a demanding kiss, devouring his mouth hungrily for all of three seconds. Then he pulled away, his eyes wide with shock, as if unable to believe what he'd done.

_**~Watch me bleed, 'cause I'll still be here when you see!  
I'm not alone!~**_

Goku started to say something, but Vegeta just shook his head quickly, horror written all over his face, and bolted; blasting the door out of his way as he fled.

_**~You don't have to run again!**_

_**Leave me in denial!~**_

_Running away from your feelings,_ Goku thought sadly, _Vegeta, why are you so afraid to love anyone?_

Days passed before Goku saw the prince again. When he did, it was on an old abandoned battlefield. Vegeta stood alone, at a powered-down version of Super Saiyan, in the middle of a craggy clearing; sifting dust between his hands and letting the grains blow away on the wind. He looked so lost, so confused.

_**All the pain you fed...  
It starts to crawl inside!  
It lives again...  
And you can't let it die!~**_

Goku flew down to where the prince stood and landed a few feet behind him.

"Go away," Vegeta snapped without turning around.

"Why, Vegeta?" Goku asked gently, "Why are you so afraid?"

"I'm not afraid of anything, Kakarot!" Vegeta shouted, whirling around and glaring at him with teal eyes, "Especially not _you_!"

"I know," Goku said calmly, "I know you're not afraid of me, you're afraid of yourself. Why? Is it so hard to accept that you love someone?"

_**Can you believe you'll never find...  
A reason to love again?~**_

"I-I don't even know what love is," the prince said shakily, but the lie showed in his eyes.

_**~Lie to me~**_

Goku shook his head slowly, taking two steps closer and reaching out to hold the older Saiyan's hand. Vegeta shied away, and Goku met his eyes imploringly, wounded.

_**~Watch me bleed**_

_**I'll be here when you see~**_

Finally, Vegeta's fear faded slightly; he offered his hands and Goku took them in his own bigger ones, savoring the caress of the prince's soft, gloveless skin touching his palms.

"Why can't you just admit it? Why is it so hard for you?"

Vegeta whispered something incoherent and Goku squeezed his hands gently, asking again silently.

"….W-weakness," Vegeta's voice wobbled a bit and he averted his gaze, shivering.

"No it's not,"

_**~You're not alone**_

_**You don't need to run…~**_

"I've admitted I love you, twice now," Goku said quietly, but forcefully, "Does that make me weak?"

Vegeta's eyes snapped back to his and he blurted, "No! Not you, never you! But I-"

"Why is it any different for you to love me back?" Goku ignored that his reply hadn't made complete sense and continued; "I know you _do_, why can't you just say it?"

"Because I _can't_, Kakarot. I can't love you,"

Goku sighed. He was lying again.

_**~Lie to me!~**_

Without thinking, Goku pressed the prince's lips to his, swallowing his protests and letting his eyes flutter closed. He'd always wanted this.

Vegeta hesitated before kissing him back, moaning softly as Goku took him in his arms and held him close, feeling the rift in his heart healing.

_**Watch me bleed, 'cause I'll still be here when you see!  
You're not alone!  
You don't have to run again!~**_

Vegeta's eyes snapped open and Goku thought he would bolt again.

_**~Leave me in denial!~**_

He pulled away, meeting Goku's gaze with bright, turquoise eyes.

"I l-love you, Kakarot," he said at long last, breathing a sigh of relief as the words rang true.

_**You can learn to love again! Leave me in denial!  
You can learn to love again! Leave me in denial!~**_

With a breathless chuckle, the prince tackled Goku, knocking them both to the ground and kissing him passionately.

_**~Again!~**_

Goku laughed with pure joy and nuzzled the prince's neck, glad at the freedom to finally do so.

"Love you too, Vegeta."

"I know, Kakarot," Vegeta breathed, "I know."

_-Shinsun_


End file.
